Smartphones are, by their nature, iterative products. But if you've felt that this iteration has started to slow a bit in the last few years, you're not alone - and you're probably not wrong, either.

Think about it: smartphones have a pretty set list of characteristics and features we evaluate in order to judge the overall quality of a device. Some are more subjective than others - design, for example - but many are also quite objective, even if quite difficult to measure objectively sometimes. How fast is the phone? How long does the battery last? How good is the camera [at night, for video, in slow motion, etc.]? Is it durable or ruggedized? Does it break easily? How big is it? How good is the display?

And among those criteria, some things are basically starting to be taken for granted, especially at the high end of the market. 2K display? OK, sure, that's just about a given on any phone over $500 these days not made by Apple. LTE? Practically a requirement. High-resolution camera that is basically within shouting distance of most other high-end cameras? Yep. Battery life that isn't actually, legitimately terrible [comparatively]? Sure, what else have you got?

And not all of these things were always givens, lest we forget. The HTC ThunderBolt (I'm never sure on the camel-casing there) had battery life that really would struggle to get most people through a day, or even half a day. Some phones were so slow that they were borderline-unusable in certain conditions - can you imagine going back to a G1? Hell, or even a DROID Charge. But even so, those devices were outliers in those ways and were still otherwise pretty much like the phones we use today, just worse. Things have, obviously, improved. Some things we pretty much objectively have right at this point, though - smartphones are remarkably good products, generally speaking, and that would have been a fair bit harder to say five or six years ago.

And over the course of six years here at Android Police, much of what I have seen change in Android smartphones big-picture-wise comes down to one of two things.

A basic technological advancement that improves the quality of a normal, necessary part of a smartphone, and generally trickles down to every manufacturer in the industry over time

Something Google does in Android that makes using a smartphone better (depending on who you ask, of course) in some way

Go back to my review of the DROID Charge - a phone I rather thoroughly disliked, mostly because it was in the heyday of TouchWiz being a legitimately poor user experience that had the industry-leading bonus of also negatively impacting device performance. That review was published, give or take, five years ago. Here's a picture the Charge's camera took.

Are you physically repulsed? I'm guessing there are some mid-range devices with roughly similar daylight capture performance on the market out there right now. You can nitpick that photo, sure - there's a fair bit of sky noise and even five years ago I'd still say Samsung's sharpening is on the aggressive side - but it's basically fine. If your significant other asked you, "hey, do you have that photo from the beach five years ago?" they're not going to look at that and say, "Oh, what a dumpster fire of a picture, guess we'll just trash it - no point in using that!" (Unless they're a professional photographer and/or a huge asshole.)

Now, there are more marked performance improvements in areas like video quality, low-light captures, capture speed, and control of the camera itself. And those are valid points - if smartphones hadn't really improved all that much in the last five years in basically any way, we'd all probably have just stopped buying new ones. But the changes are still iterative. You could still take video on a smartphone five years ago - HD video, even. You could still use the flash to take a picture in the dark. Some phones even had burst photo modes. Not to mention you could share those photos near-instantly to the internet. I mean, we're talking about some features that dedicated point-and-shoots didn't necessarily have (hey, very few still have that last one). Think about that. Five years ago.

Pictured: an older, smaller, uglier, worse version of the phone you have today. Basically.

A smartphone five years ago had two cameras, a screen, always-on mobile data, a lithium-ion battery that never lasted quite as long as we wanted to but got the job done, made phone calls, browsed the web, was a portable GPS / navigation device, and had apps. What does a smartphone today do that is fundamentally different? There may be a few small things here and there - NFC tap and pay, for example - but you're going to have to look hard to see a real shift in the smartphone paradigm in that time.

I'm sorry, I know, you came here because Nexus. And I'm getting there. The point I'm making is this: have smartphones gotten better in the last five or six years? Certainly. Sometimes in very noticeable ways. Are smartphones fundamentally different today than they were five or six years ago? No. They are remarkably similar.

And in the past two or so years, I think even the "noticeable improvement" side of the equation has begun to slow. Cameras? We've got 4K video, slow-motion, more usable low-light performance, and refined auto-focus. Those are the big ones I'd identify, because in normal-everyday-use, smartphone cameras haven't really gotten insanely better. Just in a few rather specific areas. Screens? Super AMOLED is about the pinnacle of what we've achieved, but again, in two years, the improvements there are marginal. Performance? Phones are faster, yes, but the change is much less noticeable, I'd argue, than in previous years. Battery life? I'm not even sure it has actually improved.

Xiaomi's Mi 5 is a case in point for smartphone commoditization, offering huge specifications for relatively little money.

You may have heard the word commoditization thrown around a lot in regard to smartphones recently. And what you've heard, I'd argue, is probably right: smartphones are becoming more same-y than ever, and it's becoming a race to the bottom - whoever can cram the best parts in the best plastic/glass/metal internet-camera-box for the lowest price wins. At least, that's a very broad way of looking at it, and ignoring special cases in the market like Samsung and Apple who have substantial brand clout they can successfully fold into the MSRP of their respective products. But almost everyone else in the business is having a very hard time balancing the differentiation, cost, and profitability equation effectively enough to remain competitive without either pricing themselves out of the market or becoming too similar to competitors they can't outprice.

But what does this have to do with the Nexus program?

Let's shift directions, before I bore you to death with commoditization. I want to start with a premise: I believe the Nexus program has two key advantages over phonemakers like LG, Sony, Xiaomi, Motorola, or Huawei, and that now more than ever it can be poised to exploit those advantages.

The first is that the Nexus program does not have to actually make money - especially in the short term. It doesn't even have to break even. Google reaps massive profits from its core business - ads via search - that are in no way dependent upon or beholden to what Google does with Nexus. Nexus phones sell great? Search profits probably improve. Nexus phones sell terribly? Search profits are totally unaffected. Contrast this to, say, Xiaomi. Xiaomi's core business model requires that they sell a metric butt-ton of smartphones. If they can't sell enough smartphones, their core business is threatened. Other businesses are less at risk, looking at companies like LG and Huawei, but at the end of the day, both of those companies profit on the basis of selling a product. Having a product that loses money is bad for business, because the entire point of your business is to make money selling people things. Sure, there are considerations like building brand loyalty, ecosystem, and awareness - but those are entirely secondary.

The second is that Google can do whatever it wants to Android and its own Google services. And as far as I'm concerned, Android and Google services are the bulk of the innovation engine pushing Android smartphones forward in meaningful ways at this point, and that proportion will only increase in the next few years. As smartphones rubber-band ever-closer to an optimal set of features, specifications, and performance at a given price point, Android itself begins to take an outsized role in what can make one phone different from another. But Google can do something no other manufacturer can - at least not without losing access to the Play Store - it can change core features of the operating system, because Google (duh) defines what constitutes Android pretty much everywhere except China and Amazon.

And this gives the Nexus program power. A special power that no other Android phone manufacturer has - one that Google has started to assert more authoritatively in recent years. Let's take a quick trip down Nexus memory lane and see how that strategy has evolved.

Nexus: A Brief History

This is the only surviving photo of my Nexus One, which I very much loved. I MISS YOU LIGHT-UP TRACKBALL

The first few Nexus phones were undisguised developer reference devices - the Nexus One, Nexus S, and Galaxy Nexus all courted the possibility that regular people might want a "Google Phone," but they were pretty clearly positioned more for enthusiasts and developers. The Nexus 4, though - that was an identifiable moment of change, I think we can all agree. It was cheap, you could buy it direct from Google [in theory], it was well-equipped, it looked distinct, and Google almost kind of sort of marketed it a little bit, I guess. Google's toes were clearly in the water with the Nexus 4, and with the Nexus 5, they decided to dip them a little deeper - it worked. The Nexus 5 was probably the best-selling Nexus phone of all time. Still inexpensive, still well-equipped, and sold direct by Google in even more countries. But the Nexus 5 reviewed less-than-favorably compared to more expensive high-end rivals, and it appears the phone never had a proper successor lined up.

While a good phone, the Nexus 6 was, in retrospect, a bit confusing as a Nexus.

In 2014, Android Silver was slated to launch - Google's attempt to commercialize stock Android as a selling point, in partnership with other phone OEMs. It was ambitious, to say the least. Instead of competing with other handset makers, Google would pick five phones at any one time that it would market in cooperation with wireless carriers in the US (to start) as being "silver edition" devices. They'd run stock Android, get updates direct from Google for a guaranteed period, have a direct line to Google support (a la Amazon's Mayday), a warranty and lost phone features, and there was even a whole on-boarding thing Google wanted to happen in terms of training carrier store employees on how to transfer people's information to their new phone and show them how to use it and various Google services.

It completely failed to materialize. The Nexus 6 was likely meant to be Silver's launch partner device - we'd heard it'd be called the Moto S - and this plan was scuttled when Silver died, and the Moto S rebranded to the Nexus 6. The problem is that the Nexus 6 wasn't much of a follow-up to the formula Google created with previous Nexuses. It wasn't cheap, it wasn't a mass-market screen size, and it didn't even sport a very distinct Nexus design language. It was really a Nexus in name and software only.

But with the 5X and 6P late last year, Google reaffirmed its commitment to the model it had established with the Nexus 4 and 5, and it doubled down on that model by launching two devices at deliberately tiered price points and screen sizes. The no-compromise Nexus 6P undercut flagship competitors easily, and is still probably the overall best-value Android device out there right now, especially if you can get one at even a minor discount. With Project Fi, Nexus Protect, Google Now Launcher, Google Camera, and a host of other apps and features, the Nexus puzzle is starting to come together in ways we only dreamed of five years ago.

The Hour Of Nexus

Remember all that business about smartphone hardware innovation slowing down? Here's the nice thing about that: it's making it easier and cheaper to build a smartphone that, in most respects, is competitive with that of your rivals. Might it be as nicely built? Not necessarily. Or have every single camera feature? Maybe not. But if you can market it for half the price of the best-selling phone's MSRP while maintaining 90% of the qualitative value versus that competitor, you've already got the right recipe. It's just about getting people to come taste the end product.

Slowing hardware innovation also means competitors are having a harder time differentiating (see: G5), and many will likely start to resort to gimmicks and general strangeness in an attempt to stand out from the crowd. None of them, though, can truly afford to let go of Google's services at this point - meaning none of them can get into the guts of Android in quite the way Google can. Now, Google has already offloaded a great deal of its software innovation to various apps and Google Play Services, but there's still a tremendous amount of control they can exert that no one else can. They can also offer a level of hardware and software integration in Nexus devices that they could never achieve with standard Android partners, because they're the ones driving that integration from both ends, as opposed to relying on a third party trying to make a business case. And, sure, they make all of this stuff available as part of Android itself, but no one is holding manufacturers' feet to the coals on actually implementing things like Sensor Hub, introduced on the Nexus 5X and 6P.

The Nexus 6P, doing a surprisingly good imitation of A Normal Phone You Actually Want To Buy

Though the Nexus 5X and 6P aren't perfect (particularly the 5X), they're still the best Nexus phones we've ever had. Many critics outright declared the Nexus 6P the best Android phone ever when it launched - I don't think any previous Nexus came remotely close to such a consensus. And in the US, those phones can even be bought without having to deal with a traditional carrier, assuming you're a single-line subscriber (Project Fi has no multiline incentives, and it shows, badly). You can even finance the phone, removing a major barrier for many consumers who don't want to spend $300 or $500 on a device outright. You get a warranty option, too!

The pieces are there - finally - for Nexus to be a major force here in the US phone market. (Abroad, I can't really assess as well.) And with smartphone manufacturers having ever-more trouble making a profit and adequately differentiating from their competitors, Google's strengths in Nexus - not being tied to the company's core profitability, and having direct control over Android itself - are more relevant than ever.

I greatly look forward to what's next for the Nexus phone program, because I have a feeling Google is well-aware that the tide is turning in its favor of late. In the grand scheme of things, there's precious little separating a Nexus 6P from a Galaxy S7 edge - far less than separated the Nexus 4 and the Galaxy S4, in my opinion - and Google seems to be inching ever-closer to the optimal Nexus formula with each passing year (barring the Nexus 6 / Silver misstep). The fact that the Nexus 6P garnered the most mainstream acceptance of any Nexus phone to date is, I feel, no coincidence. Google is getting dangerously close to the point where Nexus might start ruffling the feathers of its partners.

Just make the best phone for $200. Clean coding in Android to make for good battery life. There's more important problems with Nexus like in Tablets, Tablet GUI.

Chromebook is so much better value than Android, it has better multitasking and supports SD cards no problems and lightweight for the size. Make Nexus tablets on Android that good. Go on, there's some real problems to solve not some obscure geek problem with phones who only now need to drop their prices.

Drakenoid

Agreed for Chromebooks!

AsterMK

They can't. Xiaomi's low prices are due to them having absolutely no, or very little profit margin. Their biggest source of revenue is their software services, which is why you'll see MIUI updates weekly for very old devices like the Mi 2. It relies on maximum consumer satisfaction, and I'd say it's a very different business model.

Anon

yeah they earn their money from software, not hardware.

AsterMK

And hardware too, but not from phones. Their accessories like headphones, power banks, Mi Bands etc. are profitable AFAIK.

I think Google, at least in the US, is targeting the right segment of the market. I know the EU prices are crazy, though.

But $300-500 here in America seems like a pretty good sweet spot to put your portfolio's entry prices.

me me

The last phone I bought was a OnePlusX for $250 and i thought that overpriced given the support model. At least it had a good screen and microSD slot I put in $30 128GB for loads of music and videos to work within the 10GB dataplan on T-mobile familyplan.

Imparus

At least the 5X have dropped a lot in price since launch here in Europe.

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

It did?

Imparus

Yep in Europe it have dropped a lot in price since launch, so now cost the price it should have started with.

roberto.elena

Here in Spain the Nexus 5X (16GB) is still more expensive than it should (430€), but at least it's not ridiculously expensive as it was at launch (480€). But that's just in the Google Store, you can get it from Amazon.es (directly, no 3rd parties) for 299€ as a usual price (no special time-limited offers). The Nexus 6P is another story, but still, you can get it from 3rd party sellers for 500-550€.

OligarchyAmbulance

The 6P is like half the price of other flagships, with the same quality and specs.

me me

The 6P price drops show it was priced too high to begin with. Same with the Pixel C 25% discount.

Google on Android is screwing me too many ways too often, like having to root xposed to stop the Android Youtube adverts I can block in ChromeOS far easier. They monetizing both the handset and their OS is plain way too greedy.

If they want to use Android to drive non-handset sales (commercials etc) then I'd say the goal is the phone is free or near free.

The fact people are stupid enough to pay for Apple prices is about their gullibility to fall for brand brainwashing, and does not legitimize high Android prices.

For the phone it's size and battery life needs constrains it to a cost play primarily.

WORPspeed

Google can't go that cheap because they order their phones from OEMS that need to make money off the phones. And if Google would subsidize the phones to become cheaper, they will alienate their partners (the other OEMS).
Why would Samsung stick to Android and not Tizen when they can't make a profit off the OS or the phone? With everyone buying cheap nexusses, the only source of profit would be the OS which is Google's revenue stream.

Android's tagline isn't 'Be different, not the same' so they can sell everyone a Nexus....they need their OEMs and can't alienate them so they can't create a killer phone with low margins. The best they can do and what they are trying to do with their nexus line is to keep the OEMs innovating so they don't fall behind Apple/MS and they do that by incorporating new features in nexus phones that are designed to showcase what Android can do and what the future of Android will look like. They have to charge a normal price for it because too expensive and people will think the innovations are overpriced and not worth it, too cheap and the OEMs get mad so normal price will probably stay.
If you want Google's take on cheaper phones, see Android One, if you want their take on the premium phones, see Nexus 6(P) and Pixel C and if you want their normal take, stay with Nexus

me me

I bought a new Nexus 7 for $99 in October.

i bought a new OnePlusX for $250 in July.

For the market, Google has been pricing much higher after Nexus 5, they need to go back to their relative competitiveness at Nexus 4 or 5 period. They were the last Nexus phones I bought, been on OnePlus since.

This is just Google milking us because they got brand loyalty now.

MJ

"I bought a new Nexus 7 for $99 in October."

Yeah so? it's not uncommon to snag a limited time deal on a two year old tablet. LOL

i_say_uuhhh

I think thats why the Nexus 5x is around. It's a good phone for the price. My 6P to me wasn't too bad 500 bucks for a flagship phone is much better than paying 700-800 for a similar S6 or iPhone. The best part is being able to drop it on any carrier that I would like.

vzwuser76

A new Nexus 7 last October is still a 2-3 year old device. They're not sold through Google anymore, which means they're sold through resellerswhomost likely gave the business that had them a percentage of what they actually paid for them and put a slight markup from that. Lots of places do that to clear inventory.

MJ

You have a couple of factual errors in your comment....

The price of the 6P which has been out for like 5 months hasn't dropped any more in price (retail prices have NOT dropped sans sales) then the S7 which has been out less than a month.

The only people who are buying Pixel C tablets for 25% off are people who read Android blogs and developers which is probaby 5-10% of buyers. No larger tablets are selling well from anyone these days.

The fact is Google does NOT make money (or very little) selling phones so they HAVE to make money via their services and apps. Sorry...

Yes, Apple phones are high priced but NOT Nexus phones.

me me

Lol. A set of opinions preceeded by the word "fact".

Sorry.

Here's facts (as in true, not opinion).

6P launch price 32GB $499+tax = $538. Fact.

6P then discounted $429. Fact.

That's a 20% discount in a few months. Fact.

"The only people" is clearly an opinion, not a fact as you don't quote source. I'd offer a counter view an opinion but I'm be honest saying it is an opinion and not claiming it as a fact, that very few people even heard of the Pixel C and those that are dominating in Android sites which all mentioned the 25% discount so I'd say there is a more than 10% of active recent buyers.

Do some thinking about what is a fact vs opinion.

MJ

Dude, facts are NOT something you can just makeup.

There was a $50 off sale four months after it's out. That is not allowed? LOL There are already discounts to be found on the hot selling S7 that just came out.

Please lookup the price of Nexus 6P on Google Play, Best Buy, and Amazon. It is selling for the same price as it was at release. Looks like you can score it $20 cheaper (32GB) on eBAY from never-msrp. LOL

You are not really trying to say more then 10% of the general tablet buying public reads Android blogs (on the day the coupon was reported no less). #facepalm

Thanks for playing.

AsterMK

The 6P and 5X are overpriced in all markets but one. $500 was a very fair launch price that it's held quite well over time, but anywhere outside the US the 6P's pricing is very steep.

MJ

Sorry, my comments only relate to the US market.

Stoffers

I got a $50 credit for pre ordering, technically it was on sale before it was on sale.

MJ

Yes, it's common to have incentives to pre-order phones.

OligarchyAmbulance

Find me a phone with the specs and quality of a Nexus, for less money.

AsterMK

Quality as in build quality or software experience (which is subjective)? If it's the first, easy. Virtually any flagship from China. If it's the second...virtually any flagship from China...with a custom ROM.

Drakenoid

Xiaomi, except it's not stock.

vzwuser76

"If they want to use Android to drive non-handset sales (commercials etc) then I'd say the goal is the phone is free or near free."

And then people will root and remove the ads so now they take a loss on the hardware and have no ad revenue to recoup the costs. I remember when the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 launched, IIRC they were only making around $10 over cost on each device. Considering they only did it for a couple years, that tells me it wasn't a sustainable model to use.

Stoffers

People have ads in YouTube on iOS as well, not sure if you're aware.
Google is an advertising company first.

Defenestratus

Seriously? To expensive?

Get a job.

David Bowline

I agree, if you're talking about outside the US. The prices, especially on sale are excellent.

pallzoltan

I miss my N4 .( Thanks for picking it for the cover image.

WORPspeed

I never owned it, but it sure had the coolest back cover of any phone so far..... :'(
As a person that doesn't use a cover on his phone, I wish the back of my 6P looked that sexy

I still have mine. I pull it out every now and then and admire it. Also, I use it as an ipod (with Google Music) when I don't/can't use my phone for some reason.

brkshr

That's a good idea! I currently take my giant N6 to the gym to listen to my music. I think I'll be dusting off my N4 and taking that now.

thartist

"AS AN IPOD" /offense taken

Lilliam.Nelson

Aunty FRANCES makes 61 dollars hourly on the internet . She has been without work for ten months but last month her check was 21095 bucks just working on the internet for a few hours. go to this website,,,,,,,,,,http://ExcellentofferFreelance/ILgwvoR6LnsqtHM

Would like to buy a Nexus for my next phone, but I have chosen only to buy one, if it supports an microSD card. So I am most likely not going to buy a Nexus phone again.

Leonardo

I still have my white one. The most beautifull phone i've seen. I don't use it anymore because the screen is brocken but is still love it.

QuadKore

I think that way about the Samsung Galaxy S3. It was about 4 months old when I bought it outright for $300. I can't remember what I had before that, but I just loved that phone. After I sold it I still had the clear plastic case for it and it had a certain smell to it that reminded me of the S3 LOL

Gregory

Still have mine, and it still runs KitKat because I need a 4.4 device to debug my apps on.

You can always make a better app instead of just criticizing what others do.

Alex Olen

I'm being douchabagy, sorry if it was too rude.

Testraindrop

Mine is still in active use in my family.

Marshmallow on it and screen + back are still like new :D

It still looks and feels good, it even has the now hyped edge on the screen :D

me me

I keep mine going. ebay battery replacement, flashed MM and even got it to do LTE. Going strong.

tmartin

N4 is my favorite phone ever. On a 5X now and really miss it. Would probably go back if it weren't for the fingerprint sensor and updates. And the camera (even though it's buggy as hell). Actually so much is dramatically better than the N4 but it's just not inspiring any love.

Oh how I miss my Nexus 4. Long live the phone with a screen my thumbs can reach across.

chavanshashank

Mine is still running 6.0.1 Chroma :D

Arjun

The Best Mobile Till today Nexus4 <3

Jan Pražák

It was really the best looking nexus ever. My motger still have mine. Its now like almost 3 years old and still runs well on stock. Really liked it. Looks much better than any other nexus.

Mathsiel

Mine had the display broken, then I replaced it. A year later, it's broken again.
But the phone sure still hold today's demand although being released years ago.

ozeta86

my dad still uses it. lol

Nicholas Conrad

High-resolution camera that is basically within shouting distance of most other high-end cameras?

Except HTC (and Amazon).

Denigrate

The Nexus series is objectively the best.

me me

Subjectively.

godutch

For the price of 2 6p's you can have 3 s6's over here in Europe, so do the maths

Denigrate

Why would I want 2 6P's and 3 S6's?

godutch

Well just saying the 6p is 50% more expensive than the s6

invinciblegod

Probably a better comparison is to a note 5.

godutch

The note5 never got released in europe, it's not important for the point i am making anyway, that is nexus phones are very very very expensive and over really poor maybe even the poorest value for money

Testraindrop

...in europe.

Was the edge to get the 6P last year on launch until I saw the European prices compared to the non-nexus competition.
So my Nexus 5 is hopefully going to last until the next Nexus.

Stripes

Don't generalize. Our biggest online store sold the 6P and S6 at exactly the same price. Now they are both discounted and the S6 is cheaper, but you should also take into consideration that the S7 was just released but not a Nexus follow up. All the markets have their on pace, I guess, but it's also true that US vs (average) Europe/EU prices are smaller.

Stoffers

The S6 is a year old, I'd expect it to be cheaper, especially since the S7 is now available.

godutch

I just took a phone from 2015 (like the 6p) but if you want to know I could get an s7 for 20 euros less than google is offering the 6p in the play store but if you look around a bit you could get the 6p 150 euros cheaper than the s7

Mark

give me a nice htc nexus phone this year, with no hardware buttons and i'll be stoked.

You must have missed the part where HTC ruined the last Nexus tablet they worked on. I've lost faith in HTC.

Mark

Despite how unwieldy the Nexus 6 is, I still love it and don't plan on replacing it anytime soon.

I am curious though, what is Google planning on calling the next Nexus?

TriguyRN

Yeah, I agree that it was probably a miss-step, at least the way it was released with carriers and the fact a 6 inch phone was the only choice that year but, it is still a great phone and is still serving me well. I wish the camera was a little better but, other than that I have no complaints and I don't think I'll be able to get another phone this big so I'll hold onto until I see a nexus that really catches my eye.

dvdlgh

I have no plans on replacing mine. There's nothing out there that worth spending the cash on.

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

Nexus 7 Mini, duh

AbbyZFresh

Search profits are fine for now but display ads are on their way to costing more than search it by the end of this year. And that's where Google has a weakness exploiting.

blindexecutioner

Google has been implementing a lot of the stuff manufacturer's and rom developers have had for a long time. Those improvements along with a lack of bloat make the experience great. I'll always use a Nexus phone and hope they day never comes when all we have are non-Nexus phones.

pfmiller

Yeah, I think they do a pretty good job of taking the good ideas without adding a lot of excessive bloat.

shonangreg

If Mr. Ruddock's take on the evolving market is correct, then I think something like the Silver program will be replicated, even if it is only a few manufacturers producing Nexus-like devices of their own initiative. Either that, or the Nexus program will expand to include more manufacturers. There is just no alternative when there are a half-dozen or more manufacturers and Nexus is a premium feature. Think "Samsung Galaxy N8: pure Google UI, Samsung hardware, coordinated updates for three years plus".

I still have a Galaxy S5, and I'll soon rollover from docomo to an mvno, but I'll keep using the S5 till a good unlocked alternative is available ere in Japan. Still, for all my friends, when they ask about phones, I tell them to go with iPhone or Nexus. Everythng else is crippled by the glacial update schedule -- and Nexus has a huge benefit in that almost anyone anywhere in the world can help you with software issues. If you have a Fujitsu X53 with their own overlay, then you've got only a few hundred thousand potential aides to help with software.

Stoffers

Will this N8 drop the hardware keys on the face?

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

I'd love a Samsung Galaxy Nexus 2. The GNex was a beautiful device, it's a rather sad thing I couldn't experience ICS in its vanilla form properly, as in buying and unpacking the first device with the new Android 4.0 on board

DubeBoom

That Desire HD on the first picture, like it so much though its much worse than the 6P I have today..

AbbyZFresh

I remember when Android Silver was the major anticipated hype before the nexus 6 launched. Looking back, i feel probably was a better idea to keep Android diversified(with Google services of course) to appeal to more tastes. That's why Android is so popular in the first place.

Besides, the major additions Google's been adding recently has been increasingly coming from manufacturer skins rather than original ideas(except Google Now).

Looking at the comment section of the linked android silver article, seems like no one cared about silver by the time it died. I think you're spot on with saying keeping android diversified was a good idea.

Really great and well thought out editorial. I hope Nexus and google can keep pushing (or pulling) other hardware manufacturers forward, but to be honest, I'm always somewhat interested to see what wacky gimmicks the other companies can come up with to try to stand out.

MJ

Warning! Incoming recycled comments from three years ago that stock Android has no features.

James Briano

iPhone people have been more curious about my Nexus 6P than any other device I've owned.

AbbyZFresh

Did they ask if it was made by Samsung?

James Briano

No... but it wouldn't surprise me now that you mention it!

DanSan

Yea apparently if its android, its made by samsung according to iphone owners. i always get the, "oh yea, what phone do you have? samsung?" when i say "motorola" (read: nexus 6) they lose any kind of little jab they were going to make.

AsterMK

At least they know who Motorola are. People have asked me what phone it is at least a hundred times each, and still look at me like I have three heads when I say Xiaomi, to this day. The general public isn't very knowledgeable about Android phones at all, but it's always been like that, after all.

DanSan

sometimes they do. sometimes its a combo of not knowing who they are and/or losing the chance to make a samsung fanboy comment.

Trust me, I've heard my friend tell people his nexus 6P is made by Huawei. They look at him completely confused.

MJ

Do you live in the US?

AsterMK

Europe. People here can at least tell if a phone is a Samsung, HTC, Sony or LG, but that's pretty much the only brands give or take as far as the average Macedonian joe is concerned.

MJ

Xiaomi available in Europe?

AsterMK

Not officially and straight from Xiaomi, but yes.

Drakenoid

That's why there's lack of knowledge about them! In India many people know them at least by the name of their sets, if not the name of the company.

AsterMK

Yep, here though, most people can't even pronounce the name properly. Guess this affects Huawei as well.

Drakenoid

I think so, because even I didn't know how to pronounce their name recently, and I visit tech sites daily! I am eagerly awaiting my Mi5 right now!

Stoffers

I have a 6P and I'm not 100% sure I pronounce it correctly.

Serge Cebrian

nexus seekspee???
i think you meant the brand :P

huawei (for me it would be hwɑ weɪ)

MJ

Going back to your original comment, why would you expect the general public to be familiar with Xiaomi than?

Robert D.

I've been asked four or five times in the last month also, when I say Huawei I usually get wha what?

anees

When I tell them what phone I have they always end up laughing (have the OnePlus 2)

Serge Cebrian

tell them you have a 3

#tihor

My condition is actually pathetic

Guy:- Hey man wats that phone you've got there ?

ME:- (*beams proudly*) IT'S A 1+1 !!!

Guy:- (*slightly confused*) Oh Chinese right ?

ME:- (-_-)

Nicholas Conrad

When idrones see my phone isn't made by apple, they usually ask if it's 'The Samsung'; ignoring not only the rest of the Android universe, but even failing fundamentally to understand Samsung's product lines.

i_say_uuhhh

Agreed, I've had several people see my phone and instantly be intrigued. They all usually say oh yeah it's that Google phone that I saw on the commercials. I say yeah it is. haha

It's time for Google's Pixel hardware program to come into full effect.

All the pieces are in place for Google to deliver a phone that rivals the iPhone in popularity and mindshare if Google wanted to.

Apple needs real competition, and let's be frank Google is the only company that can go toe to toe with Apple if they got serious with hardware (they have more hardware and component parts partners than Apple), retail, advertising and marketing.

Samsung is just a clusterfuck of a company that will keep ruining Android as long as they believe they are great with software and services, which they aren't.

There's no reason why they can't make phones aimed at different markets. A low-end, midrange and premium end-to-end handset will ensure that everyone can get a pure Google experience without the bullshit that comes with third party OEMs and carriers.

me me

I agree the spread of phone sizes is highly viable, it is just that the smaller size has been under-attended and way too much attention to big phones.

jawsnnn

I'd argue the opposite and say that Google does not need to compete with Apple (and never has). The Android market is much larger and complicated than Apple's and Googles' strategy has always reflected that. The Android One initiative - regardless of how successful it is - demonstrates that push, so do all iterations post Kitkat. Google wants to put its OS in "any" phone that has a minimum set of requirements. Sure it can be run on a premium device but that will always be secondary to the market need.

Google needs to compete because Apple has a complete and absolute monopoly on profits in the mobile space. 90% if you believe the recent figures. This should not happen if we want a competitively healthy mobile market in the future, and if we want Android to continue to be a valued and powerful brand in the space.

Orion

A pixel phone would be awesome. Go all out.....regular and phablet sizes.

Nicholas Conrad

Yeah, apple needs competition like Blackberry does. 15% marketshare dude, iphone is a niche product. It always has been, and always will be. As an aspirational brand, apple's growth is self-limiting. You don't feel like a member of a cool club

I have a G4 and I'm not looking to upgrade anytime soon. When I do upgrade it will be to whatever the next Nexus is. Like the article says, the devices are all similar at this point. The only thing that will differentiate will be software. I'll take the quick updates offered by a Nexus over any bell or whistle Samsung throws into the mix.

frank

Nexus 5 was the best, price and quality wise.

jawsnnn

I loved my N5 (still do), but I have to say its battery life was pretty abysmal compared to N6P. Then again it was a much cheaper device.

VAVA Mk2

Agree. Same here.

Anon

the camera was very meh too

jawsnnn

I think the phone took much better photos in HDR+ mode than it had any right to.

g

It's a cheaper device that's over two years old.

Pootis Man

Still waiting for a premium, no compromise Nexus phone with an actually phone sized screen. Give me that and I'll have no problem paying whatever price they want for it.

me me

What you call phone size? When I hold say the Nexus 4 or OnePlusX I'm still feeling smaller phones is better and for anything larger carry a 7-9" tablet. Nexus 5 was the biggest I could tolerate and that whole right-sized market has been under-attended. The 5X doesn't count its still too big.

Not saying bigger should not exist, there are those who like to carry 1 big device, but the smaller size has been under-attended too long.

Pootis Man

For me the Nexus 5 was the perfect size. Then we got the 5X as a supposed sequel which I concur was way too damn big. The OnePlus X is around the size I wouldn't mind carrying as a daily driver.

me me

Agreed. The N5 was perfect size, still is. But once I added Android Wear (I bike commute so wrist is good place to see things) it tripped N5 from slightly under-battery to way too small battery so I jumped up to larger phone with more battery life.

The OPX is a dream to hold and use and its actually in a young lady's use who did have N5 which broke.

When I saw Google had made small and large phones they made them too similar in size. 5.2 or 5.7 so the N6 people who like big were disappointed and the N5 who liked smaller also disappointed.

Happy to go with 2 Nexus but they need to be <5" and a larger (5.7 may be fine)

Filipe Gazinelli L. F. Werneck

A Pixel Phone? :D

AsterMK

Pixel phones is what really needs to happen. If they're (for once) available to buy worldwide, unlike any Nexus ever, I'd be pretty interested.

Henry Pham

Obligatory no removable battery thread here... I'm adding this because I can't believe people have refrained from whining about the lack of removable battery for the Nexus. But seriously, now that I have it with a V10, I'm going to have a hard time going back to a Nexus. That and the lack of Aptx in the Nexus phones.

Not quite the same as being swappable, but replaceable is definitely good.

me me

A USB battery is a phone-neutral $20 way to carry spare power which can be charged independently of being inside a phone. 20000mah for $20 about the same size and weight as a phone is a few recharges and for less than a phone company will charge you for their own batteries.

Serge Cebrian

i swapped mine my self for another not faulty one... xD

DanSan

Had the galaxy nexus, really enjoy it except for the battery life and really missed it when I moved to the GS4. Still using my Nexus 6 and debated grabbing the 6P but very curious whats coming this year. I wish we could get 100% confirmation if HTC is involved because if so i won't wait and I'll get the 6P. Dont need no HTC junk in my life. Thunderbolt was my first and my last.

obarthelemy

Agreed. My current phone is soon turning 2 year old, which has never happened before, and I'm still at a loss to find a reason to upgrade, which has never happened before either.

It's on 4.4.4 though, which is not an issue right now, but will be eventually. If it got a 5.1 or 6.0 update (which it won't I guess, there's a flaky 5.1 beta out, but no movement for the past 6 months), I'm sure I could get 4 more years out of it. With no updates, I'll probably find a way to rotate it out ^^

me me

My son was on a OnePlusOne 5.5" and he broke it, he moved to a $99 Moto E LTE and prefers it as just easier to hold, keep in pocket and better battery life. Anything needing a bigger screen it then is Chromecast

Not for you

"Other businesses are less at risk, looking at companies like LG and
Huawei, but at the end of the day, both of those companies profit on the
basis of selling a product. Having a product that loses money
is bad for business, because the entire point of your business is to
make money selling people things."

Heh - I wish more commenters who defend companies they've recently given money to would understand this.

Just because company X made a product that meets YOUR needs doesn't mean they are immune to criticism on other aspects. Similarly, just because company Y makes a product that suits someone ELSE's needs doesn't mean it's a crap product.

Robert D.

Sadly I don't see internet fanboyism going away anytime soon.

mike shwilly

Nexus 5P please. Double speakers, 4.9 inch. You can do it, habibi.

Chris

Round it to 5, geez.

I didn't like this years Nexus devices so after owning every Nexus minus the HTC one, I bought an iPhone 6s. Have to say, this is the best phone, as far as build quality and the camera goes, and it reminds me of the Nexus 5. What an amazing, simple device that was.

Hopefully Google can come up with another Nexus 5 (or 5 inch.. Without much bezel) with a quality build to compete with this. It would be amazing if they did their own phone with a metal body.

I miss Android. iOS is nice and polished and has some benefits, but just doesn't cut it when comparing to Android N/M preview.

Duder

You owned the 5x and 6p?

Chris

No, didn't like this years Nexus devices. Wouldn't bother replacing the 5 with the 5x and didn't like the 6p. Wouldn't bother replacing my Motorola with that either, even though I didn't like the Motorola much either.

The iPhone is badass. Nice simple design (no curved back, or thicker top...), not a pentile display, speaker with some bass, solid build quality. If I could get stock android on this and increase the resolution, it would be the best current phone, period.

TigerMike901

Nexus. Master. Race.

elchuby

(Unless they're a professional photographer and/or a huge asshole.)
This made me laugh out loud at work

BrendonLG

says the nexus fanboy LOL,you see the lg g5 that innovation,i will never buy crappy nexus phones with updates full of bugs never again.

tim242

I'm no Nexus fanboy. I don't even care for them. But with that name and avatar, you have a lot of nerve calling someone else a fanboy.

Ismail Akram

LG G5 is crap

Chuck Musciano

I still have my Nexus One. It still boots and shows me what was on my phone four years ago when I switched to a Galaxy S2. I, too, miss that glowing trackball (and onscreen mouse!).

Biff Wonsley

My Nexus One is still on duty as a webcam in my home. It only runs the one app (IP Webcam,) though, so not much opportunity to use the trackball. But I'd put a trackball on my Nexus 6 were it possible. That thing is insanely useful for people with large hands/fingers.

MarkG54321

Horseshit (as usual). Some phones are full of innovation. had full waterproofing for 3 generations, hardware noise cancellation, on sensor PDAF for camera focus, HD audio DACs. 2 day battery life out of a phone that's slimmer than an iPhone 6s

Don't judge everyone by what Samsung and LG do.... Don't assume what your screwed up country has, is true elsewhere in the world.

Max

I couldn't agree more, although they still need to refine more some performance issues, but nevertheless Nexus 6P is truly an achievement for the Nexus program and Android overall.

QuadKore

I think the biggest change over 5 years, even 2 or 3 years, is the quality of these once no name companies and their mid-range devices. I am solely using a $100 ZTE ZMAX2 that I love. I've had over 11 Android phones and 9 tablets,from Samsung to HTC to Nexus. Top of the line flagships. Never will I pay $700 for any phone, not when I can get this quality for this price. 3-5 years ago I wouldn't be caught dead with a ZTE or some no name phone. I love progress.

Drakenoid

Same, I am getting Mi5 and I am excited!

Robert D.

Rocking this honor 5x without a single regret, coming from a s5 and a s3 before that, so I know exactly what you mean.

LG fucked up that Nexus 5X.. shit build quality, no front facing speakers, 2GB RAM and terrible screen. I have purchased every Nexus device since Samsung Nexus and I have to say after the LG G5 and 5X, LG might take a major hit this year. They could have grew the Nexus lineup, big time!!

yann933

I'm sorry that your case covers up the bottom FRONT FACING speaker, and that your screen protector tints the screen yellow, and that clean master keeps hogging your RAM, your life must suck.

AsterMK

2GB RAM and 16GB of non expandable storage is pitiful on a phone whose launch price was $380. Get over it.

Rod

2GB with stock Android does wonders.

You're not obligated to but the 16gb version either.

AsterMK

2GB is barely midrange regardless of software, and the 5X had lag issues reported all over the place that were only fixed recently. 2GB isn't enough for the price paid, and neither is 16GB, while the 32GB model is even more overpriced considering it's $50 more for a mere 16GB of storage.

Yes, 2GB is fine. But "fine" is reserved for sub-$200 devices. The Nexus 5X, aside from the Project Fi promo which ended AFAIK, is not such a device.

Rod

I disagree.

My Nexus 5 with 2GB outperforms most smartphones to this date.

But I agree that it should be 3GB just for the sake of it. Late 2015, c'mon.

But I'm sure no user will have a bad experience because of this.

Ernie

I love my Nexus 6p. It was a great upgrade from my Nexus 5.

reader

What's wrong with 5X? Got 5, now 5X. It is a great phone with typical issues for new device. Latest updates sorted out problems. Love it. 32GB version is a pure android toy. No stupid software, simple, fast.

Mahbubul

Everytime I see someone rejecting Nexus 4 or Nexus 5 or Nexus 5X, I think is it my problem or their's? What phones they compare? Which phones reach 'that' threshold that they are hating these Nexus phones?

Happily using the Nexus 5X.

David Bowline

I have a 6P and bought my girlfriend a 5X. After the latest update, I'm a little jealous if her phone. It fits well in hand, isn't a slippery slide is visible in sunlight. I even offered a trade. She held my phone in her hand for 30 seconds and said, "no!"

I still love my 6P, but would be very happy with a 5X.

Defenestratus

Reading these comments has led me to believe that my iPhone-sporting friends are correct: Android users are cheapskates who aren't willing to pay for quality.

J3R3MY_H

Getting the best value isn't being a cheapskate. Would buying a used previous-gen iphone make you a cheapskate?

iPhone fans are just paying not for quality but for stock holders dividends and BMWs in Cupertino.

Testraindrop

I'm still waiting for a successor for my Nexus 5, Google....

I hope this year the time has come :)

Roberto Virga

Nexus hardware comes from partnerships between Google and manufacturers, and I get the impression is that Google has had more and more trouble lately finding OEMs willing to partner with them.
I believe that the Pixel C, far from being just a discarded Chrome OS device that got recycled as an android tablet, it's also a sign that Google is ready to kill the Nexus program in favor of going solo with hardware. Expect a Pixel phone soon, possibly later this year.

james fuston

I'm looking forward to seeing what Google unwraps this year in terms of hardware. If they build on the momentum they had with the 6P and the Doze improvements in N, they may actually be able to come close to the day-to-day battery life Apple's been managing for a few years now.

tim242

What? The iPhone 6s has horrible battery life. The 6s Plus is no better than top end Android phones.

james fuston

I'm not talking about turning the screen on and playing a video looping endlessly. Like I said, real day to day battery life. The current iOS phones vastly outperform current Android phones due to the fact that they basically don't allow background processes.

tim242

You are talking crazy. I get 5-6 hours of screen on time, unless I'm outside more and have to turn up the brightness. Then it is 4-5. The iPhone does not even match that. All you have to do is Google "iPhone battery life". The iPhone most certainly allows background processes. Otherwise, nothing would function properly. You seem to think the grass is greener, when in reality it's kind of brown.

james fuston

Please specify a device and how long your phone is off the charger, otherwise those stats are meaningless. Also, what is the most recent iPhone you've owned? I'm talking about personal experience with the 6+ for a year.

Hrishikesh Bisen

MOTO g , Samsung galaxy s7e, Asus zenphone max are few

james fuston

Yeah, I'm not asking what devices you think can get that kind of battery life. I was specifically asking Tim what device he's claiming he gets those numbers with. Also, comparing a Moto G to an iPhone is oranges to apples because there's a large disparity in the quality/performance of the parts used.

Greyhame

I ask you the same for Android devices you've used.

james fuston

See above.

Sir_Brizz

I have a 6P and get 5 hours of SOT with about 18 hours off the charger on average.

My wife has a 6 and she has to plug in 3 times a day :p

Greyhame

That doesn't happen on my 6P or my S7. It didn't happen on my S6, Note 4 or Droid Maxx either. Your statements aren't based on facts, they're just anecdotal and suspect at that.

james fuston

Sorry, facts about day to day battery life? How exactly do you come up with facts about something that's completely subjective?

Here are facts about smartphone batteries: 1) your phone has (or at least at one time had) a battery, 2) your battery is what powers your phone, 3) having a battery in your phone increases your screen on time exponentially vs. not having a battery in your phone.

The fact that you're trying to denounce my argument because I used anecdotal evidence instead of facts while only supplying anecdotal evidence of your own should expose the flaw in your logic.

Greyhame

Dodge my point all you want, your statements are still suspect.

Sir_Brizz

It seems like you haven't used a high end Android phone for several years.

iPhone allows background processes just fine, it is just VERY aggressive about killing full apps that are running, and it is also VERY aggressive about turning off CPU cores, which is part of why iOS jank has increased dramatically since iOS7.

Android has improved a lot in this area with Doze and will probably improve even more with Doze in N because it is more aggressive at deciding to turn things off.

james fuston

I've used the M8, S6 Active, S6 Edge, G4, 6P and S7 Edge. All of them have obscene idle drain when compared to iOS.

Also, "Android has improved a lot in this area with Doze and will probably improve even more with Doze in N because it is more aggressive at deciding to turn things off." Yes, that is literally what I said in my original post.

Ismail Akram

Still iPhone 6s have better battery life than most of android phones. given the amount of battery size.. only problem I see is slow charge.

Ismail Akram

If Google will keep bigger size 5.5 or bigger and keep same battery size then I do expect 1-1.5 hours or extra SoT as probably cuz of 14nm SD820.. BTW anything you can think of which will come with next nexus? 6p had usb type c as new feature/thing.

Kiamat

" How fast is the phone? How long does the battery last? How good is the camera [at night, for video, in slow motion, etc.]? Is it durable or ruggedized? Does it break easily? How big is it? How good is the display?"

When did the tech industry stop reviewing call quality? I mean, these are still phones.

tim242

They aren't really phones. They just have a phone app. People don't talk on the phone as much anymore, and probably don't too much care about the quality of the call. That being said, they should probably at least quickly mention how the phone app performs.

Hrishikesh Bisen

And you live in US???
Because in outside world people do make calls (India, China ,Rest of Asian country, African countries, European countries etc)

Ismail Akram

I do notice and I care.. I used HTC phones for very long and then I switch to G4 first thing I felt I'm downgraded is call quality.. Note 5 had better call quality then G4 but then I bought One A9 and again I admit they have best cal l quality.. when I sold my A9 I missed its call quality and front of phone. which is uniform.

dude

This is why I like Motorola, still the best call quality and LTE signal from all the brands I've tried.

Ismail Akram

I have bad experience with Moto X pure and 2nd reason I liked this phone less. other it stutters a lot..

Thomas Westrick

I don't disagree, but they need to get some basic things fixed. There's no excuse for Do Not Disturb turning itself off, Gmail sync being broken, and WiFi disconnecting on my Nexus 6P when every other phone works fine in these areas.

Ismail Akram

Thats weird I have non of above issues. point is people have issues on other smartphones as well but if I don't doesn't means it is flawless..

Joshua N

Love my 6p :)

Ismail Akram

It is device to be loved. I switched back to 6p after using s7 edge for a week.

lolmensch

I'm afraid to upgrade. Currently using a note 2 lte (still) and I get ~36-48 hours with 6 h screen on time on KitKat. With aosp marshmallow it is way worse. Now actually present phones have a battery life which seems to be a lot worse and I don't want my phone to be worse in terms of quality.
With all the advancements in cpu, display technology, battery technology etc. is it so hard to come up with a similiar device which outperforms the note 2 in every way?

Don't tell me quickcharge is doing wonders because during a motorbike trip or camping or going to a festival or whatever there is no frickin powersocket nearby.

jesuguru

MAN, I'm jealous. Still using a Note 2 (non-LTE) on Kitkat and I don't get anywhere near that battery life/SOT. Wish I knew your secret. As is, I'm feeling like I finally need to upgrade this summer after over 3 years.
Was hoping Marshmallow would help, I guess not.

lolmensch

Stock Rom, only rooted, no greenify but xprivacy on it. I bought a new battery though because the old one just didn't do it anymore. I'm not using a lot of background services though. Only things are Google now, WhatsApp and push mail.

Interesting article topic; I enjoyed it. Thought I'd add something. Ironically, or perhaps not, an innovation not mentioned here was developed in partnership with Google: Motorola's Active Display. That was a game changer. It completely redefined how you interacted with your phone.. and went a long way in rocketing the Droid Maxx into the number one spot on my list of favorite phones. I suppose it wasn't mentioned in the fore of the article as it was a software development. I'm still waiting/hoping for the day when Google adopts those features into stock Android. Hey, a man can dream.

Evan Willis

And for a moment we flew too close to the sun with Android Silver. So close, yet so far. I would have both loved and hated to see that program take place

There are just a few more bases Nexus need to cover. I was really considering the 6P, ended up with a Moto X Style 32gb. I probably will buy a Nexus again one day, when it have at least 64gb of storage space at base option, and half decent digital or optical image stabilization for video. (Even OnePlus 2 have them).

Nightfall

You want a 64gb base Android phone, and yet you bought a32gb Motorola phone. The point of your comment is not clear to me.

dude

I'm fine with 32gb internal storage as long as it have external storage, but not by itself. Also with Marshmallow feature of merging internal and external storage, it's not as bad. So right now I have 160gb combined storage on my Moto X, which is much better than 32gb only if I had went with a Nexus 5X.

It might still be early but I've seen far more Nexus 5 than I have 5X or 6P. Maybe I'm not with the right crowd but this left me wondering if maybe 6P wasn't as successful as the 5 was.

I stopped buying Nexus after the 5, not because I hated the 6 but more because I liked what Moto was doing, and I still do. The memory card addition has sealed the deal for now, I can't jump on Nexus until that ever happens again.

Nexus program is reaching maturity and its advantages will allow it to continue growing, is what I think this article is trying to say. I wouldn't want a Nexus program that's too strong, because the point of Android is having that variation. A Nexus that's too strong could kill smaller manufacturers and leave Samsung, LG and Huawei as the only other Android manufacturers. Sure, continue to make good Nexus phones and offer basic things like Nexus Protect (wish I had these options when I had the Nexus One) to reach service parity with manufacturers but don't try to cut your partners out.

Ismail Akram

if you using Moto X(2015) and not bought Nexus 6p then you are missing the speed. better don't buy 6p ;) cuz its crazy fast in UI.

Sir_Brizz

I know more people that have bought the 6P and 5X than have bought all previous Nexus devices combined. It seems to me like they are much more popular.

mateor

I bought every Nexus device between the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 6. The software is always the same, I got...bored

Sir_Brizz

But the software changed a lot between Jelly Bean and Marshmallow...

mateor

True (to a degree). But until recently every device got those updates. So I would buy a new device and it would be exactly like my old one, but in a slightly larger shape.

Sir_Brizz

Oh, I see what you're saying. You were getting the OS updates so the new device just felt like a different version of the device you just had. That makes more sense.

InvaderDJ

I would like manufacturers to do better than just good though. Yes, just about all smartphones are good nowdays, but a huge chunk of them aren't great. Take the S7 for instance. It is speedy, has decent battery life, a great camera, and a lot of people like its build quality.

But I think if they just made the phone thicker so they could slam in more battery and worked to make their skin more efficient its speed and battery life could be great. And hey, maybe not make the phone out of glass so it can survive a drop But instead they settled on good. The same can be said for a lot of phones. They're decent in some areas, great in others but because they compromised somewhere (usually in thickness) they can't be great in all the important areas.

Also important to remember is that "innovation" for the sake of innovation means nothing. Look at the LG G5 for instance. It "innovated" in its semi modular design and in its cameras, and from what I'm reading (since I don't have hands on experience) it isn't that good. They innovated just so they could have a bullet point on their spec sheet at the expense of quality. And remember phones like the Evo 3D? That were all about a gimmick that ended up being horrible? I know for reviewers the same, same old can be boring, but until we get some real innovation that requires drastic leaps in technology, lets worry more about being great, even if that is boring.

"Xiaomi's core business model requires that they sell a metric butt-ton of smartphones."
Good article but that part is wrong though. In China at least, Xiaomi has its own app market and I'm pretty sure that is where most of their profit comes from, and allowing them to sell phones for cheap to drive more customers to their app store and services, in a similar fashion as Google (except for the Internet engine)

AsterMK

Hence, having to sell a butt-ton of phones, so more people can spend money on their software services. Then again, they could go software only at any given moment since MIUI is available for many different phones, not just Xiaomi's, and has some 170 million active users.

benoita74

Very true, though it seemed to me that the article implied that xiaomi had to sell metric tons of phones because of the very small margin on each device sold :)

the fact that the nexus program does not have to actually make money is a big downside too, the care for the users is lower than any oem.
the quality of nexus devices was poor from 1 to 5, yeah, cool soc, great, but the rest was just cheap and the software years behind oem which still is.
the last generation tried to improve the user experience, with no more cheap components (except for 5x maybe), the sw slowly align stealing from here and there, but the 2015 qualcomm soc are just crap, such are nvidia ones.
maybe next year we will have a good nexus, but only a fan can love them before that.

abhisheksaral

I want Google Play Edition Galaxy S7 Edge! So bad!😑😐🔫☄

utack

I think the "sold at cost" model for Nexus is only fair.
When you buy for example a Galaxy S7 you pay a huge price tag for the hardware, and on top of that you get an OS that was built to spy on you in order to sell advertisement to make Google money. Something is not adding up there, compared to iOs, where the OS is financed by hardware sales and built to serve you.

jonzey231

But I love my Nexus 6. Best phone I've ever had. I don't even feel a desire to upgrade because it's still so fast :)

Orion

Exactly. Dude is just hating because of the premium price and size. Lol

Mahbubul

There's nothing wrong in expecting lower price and comfortable size (at least for majority) when the previous ones set examples of. And introducing 5X and 6P just prove his point.

Google has gotten better with Nexus devices but each year they still fall short. As Android OEM's get better each year, Google still seems to be a year behind. If true, will this HTC/Nexus later this year be better than say the S7Edge or possible Note 6? I highly doubt it just because I have yet to see a Nexus device beat Samsung's hardware. Software is always subjective, and another conversation for a different day. I would mention Lenovo, LG, Sony, Huawei, HTC etc but all those are small players who don't even matter in the grand scheme of things. In 2016 in the US, it's a a two way race. Mainly Apple or Samsung. Why all of these other Android OEM's aren't doing anything noteworthy is beyond me! The saddened state of Android right now. 😴😁😎

Sir_Brizz

Why does a Nexus device have to _beat_ Samsung? The 6P cost half what an Note 5 costs and is within striking distance of beating it. You don't think that looks bad for Samsung? And that's not even mentioning how smooth the experience is in comparison.

TeeJay1100

Cost half of what the Note 5 costs is a lie. The initial 6p starts at $499. The initial Note 5 is $739 on Att alone. But that is neither here nor there. Look dude, get off this cheaper price kick. Nexus 6p is anything but cheap. Your comparing it to the top end Android OEM phone. And by that basis, it's highly overpriced when compared to say a One Plus 2. This article was about some of the advantages Google could use with the Nexus line. At this point, no Nexus phone should be anywhere near $499. We don't pay for spec for specs, every OEM has the responsibility each year to upgrade those or they will die in this competitive market.

Also, how does being priced in the higher end range look bad for Samsung? How does it look bad for Apple? Guess what? It doesn't because their is demand in that arena. Supply and demand, basic economics. I just wish people would stop mentioning Samsung prices as if it doesn't work for them. It does, maybe just not for you. Samsung right now is the majority OEM turning profits, so again remind me how does it look bad for them? HTC, Sony, Lg is losing money! All 3 of them try to play ball in the high end price range but they can't because folks won't pay high end prices for their products. In case you haven't seen a smooth experience, look at reviews on the S7/S7edge and it speaks for itself.

Sir_Brizz

When the 6P came out, it was half the price of a 32gb Note 5. The MSRP for the Note 5 32gb is $999.00. Even if it's not half the price today, it is still a much better value coming in benchmarks within a reasonable range to the Note 5 Exynos (The Snapdragon is pretty much the same or a bit lower as it uses an SD805).

Samsung's success just shows that most consumers don't really give a crap about things like benchmarks or specs or performance or anything else. They also don't really think about value per dollar. There is nothing wrong with that, but it really flies in the face of people who think that hose things are important metrics for consumers. They are important as they generally improve, not because they are especially good in one device or another.

There are many reasons people buy Nexus devices over OEM devices. Does the 6P give a lot more value over a OnePlus 2? Yes, it does. I can't believe you'd actually make that comparison. You're essentially saying that the Note 5 is not worth much more than the OnePlus 2 because the 6P and the Note 5 are largely the same device internally. And for people who care about that, that does look bad for Samsung since they undercut them by several hundred dollars in the best case scenario for a device that is 95%+ as good. That doesn't mean it will affect Samsung's bottom line at all, though.

The Nexus line having two tiered pricing is great. The 5X is comparable to a OnePlus 2 specs wise, and its cost is also in the same range. The 6P is comparable to the Note 5 specs wise and its cost is cheaper (but in the right range).

The profit margin gap only exists because one group of companies can get people to buy their products and another can't. Do you really think HTC or LG or OnePlus doesn't want to be charging the massive prices with insane margins that Samsung and Apple can? Of course they do.

And finally, I've used an S7Edge and while it is the smoothest TouchWiz has ever been, it is still not really comparable to stock Android on the 6P. Even iOS on the latest devices has lost its smoothness. Clearly OS jitters are not something people actually care about.

TeeJay1100

I don't know where you saw the Note 5 for $999 entry point but here in the US it was never that much initially. You said something true, - Consumers don't really give a crap about things like benchmarks, specs, or performance or anything else. Exactly, and the cats who do care choose not to partake in buying devices in a higher price range. The One Plus 2 was mentioned not to prove if it had value over the 6p but as a reference for phone/specs. The people who care about being undercut in device choices don't buy Samsung it's simple. But honestly that crowd is very few. It won't affect Samsung at all.

I think the 5x/6p was $100 overpriced on all tiers. Why pay $499 for a 95%+ as good device when I can pay $729 or monthly installments and have the better hardware/overall device? Makes sense to me. You get what you pay for. Do that mean that these devices are worth that type of money? Absolutely not. In my eyes no device is worth more than $400. But it's not my world nor market. I like to have the best and not settle for the sake of a price.

LG, HTC, and One Plus want to play ball in the insane margins but can't . Folks will go for it for Samsung/Apple, but those other 3 OEM's better not try it. They will do immediate price reductions and will be on EBay Daily Deals very very soon. It never fails after Android OEM's drops their flagship phones. That's another reason I never really buy day one, because on Android the price always comes down so soon.

Lastly, I always say software is purely subjective and we can go on and on about it. Personally, stock in my eyes is utterly boring and lacking so many features. But we are all different in that regard. Now I disagree with you on iOS. iOS is still a smooth operator. Everything does not have to be compared against stock. Stock isn't the gold standard, it's just one of them.

Sir_Brizz

That's the Note 5 MSRP from Samsung. I doubt they sold it at that price for long or maybe not even in the US at all. I really don't see why you brought up the OnePlus 2. The implication you're making is that people who don't buy the highest end Samsung devices only want bottom of the barrel cheap garbage and that really isn't true. As much as there is a market for high end and low end devices, there is a market for devices in between, too.

Why would I spend $400 on a device that is 95% as good as a device that costs at least $229 more? Do I even need to grace this with a response? The primary thing on the Note 5 that would matter to a consumer that the 6P doesn't have is a stylus. If a stylus doesn't matter to you, you can SAVE $229 by getting the 6P. This is basic economics... I don't need a device with as many features packed in as possible, as the Nexus device has something that matters a whole heck of a lot more to me than the best hardware features: timely software updates. So you mean I can get a device that is at least $229 cheaper (in my case around $279 because that's the gap on the 64gb devices) that is almost exactly as good AND gets updated more frequently? Wow, tough decision. :p

I agree that most devices aren't worth what you pay for them, but I feel a lot better about the money I spend on Nexus devices. I can even buy one on a monthly plan if I want to these days.

Samsung's competitors can't pay people to buy their devices so they won't ever be able to kick their margins up higher. Samsung plays in both markets, too. They have billions of devices in every range at varying margins.

Finally, I really don't agree that iOS is smooth these days at all. Maybe the 6S+ is smooth, I haven't really used it, but the 6, 6+, and 6S on the latest iOS 9 skip and lag all the time just in regular OS operations (flipping between home screens for example). It's really disappointing when they used to have such a good reputation at that. This is Tim Cook's Apple.

(P.S. whether you like stock or not is really personal taste. You still have the option of making it look and feel just about any way you want, though)

TeeJay1100

The price mentioned was from US carriers. Not Samsung's website. The One Plus One was used as a reference as I stated earlier. Has nothing to do with if people don't buy high end then they only want the bottom of he barrel cheap devices. Your insinuating.

You said, "Why would I spend $400 on a device that is 95% as good as a device that costs at least $229 more?" People do it all day long because of different needs of the person. It's very simple.
Software updates for Nexus devices are OVERRATED. 5.0/6.0 has been a hot buggy mess. Your concerned about getting them first/fast, I'm concerned about them getting it right! If Nexus devices make you happy, enjoy.
Lastly, my iphone6s Plus is smooth as butter. Your going off hearsay. And in that case the Internet is full of that. You can always find reports on a phone acting laggy/sluggish from anybody. At the end of the day, it's only one major player in Android that's making $$$. The rest are fighting for the bottom and nothing we say or do will change that fact. You like one phone, I like the other. I still think Nexus devices are too much for their price. But since you like it, have at it.

Sir_Brizz

No price was mentioned when I claimed the 6P was half the price. I agree that it is not half of the price you mentioned. I wasn't using that price as my point of reference.

People buy Samsung devices because they don't care about any of that other stuff. They also generally don't care if they are going to get timely updates or anything else. They buy any devices because they like them or they get them "free" through their carrier. If Samsung made a flagship that was 100% identical to the Nexus that year, people would still buy it. Because of that, it is illogical and impractical to try to make some comparison like Samsung makes better devices or something. In general, they make slightly better, about the same, and much worse devices and they make money because all of these devices (not just their flagship devices) sell.

" 5.0/6.0 has been a hot buggy mess. Your concerned about getting them first/fast, I'm concerned about them getting it right!"
Except that Samsung has had many more shoddy updates than Google has just 4-6 months later (and they rarely release hotfixes), but okay if you say so.

"Lastly, my iphone6s Plus is smooth as butter. Your going off hearsay."
Maybe you are lucky, how am I supposed to know? But basing opinions off of using something is not "hearsay", and I specifically said in my last post I have used them. I haven't put any real time into the 6S+ so maybe it gets better over time, but I can walk into the Apple Store and pick up any iPhone in there and watch the very noticeable UI lag that they all have. And I have used the 6, 6+, and 6S extensively and they all have pretty bad jank.

"You like one phone, I like the other. I still think Nexus devices are too much for their price. But since you like it, have at it."
I think they are much more worth their price than Samsung or anyone else's flagships (maybe with the exception of the Moto phones this year). If you like Samsung devices, that is fine. But, frankly, Nexus devices are getting better a lot faster than Samsung devices are and that is saying something considering one Nexus was a Samsung device.

TeeJay1100

In order for us to not keep going in a merry go round over and over, I'll end it here by saying: OK. Your opinion and my opinion means nothing and it won't change a thing with the state of Android.

Sir_Brizz

I like spewing pointless dribble, though!! >:(

Stefano

I have a Nexus 5 and i'm really proud of this phone...but unfortunately i disagree with you...we have an evolution between years...for example before the Nexus i had an LG Optimus 3D, well with this phone my battery life was really bad (no matter what Android version or kernel i had) while with Nexus i almost double the battery life of the 3D, and now from the reviews and people's opinion i see that actual phones are better than my nexus (in terms of battery life), then i think that we have changes between the years...i really love Nexus (in fact i was planning to buy the 5X or 6P ) but they have a bad release date...i know that probably the hardware it's not important if the phone is good (Android stock is amazing, no matter what hardware we have), but for example if now i'd want to buy a phone i will choose a phone with Snapdragon 820 and not 810 or 808 (the two Nexus)...however until now the Nexus 5 is the best phone that i've ever had!

Paul

I've got a Nexus 5 where my brother got a Samsung S7 just recently and even though software runs about the same on both, I can see his phone is a lot better, the screen is much cleaner and sharper, the camera is way better, more so in low light conditions, the phone performance is a few times faster, I don't see how things are really slowing down at all, in areas like the screen and camera we are getting diminishing returns but that's because they are getting so good that improvement that is becoming hard work.

Hardware performance is going up in leaps and bounds but software isn't keeping up, it's the same problem we get on PC where most software just isn't pushing the hardware that much, it's a good time for them to improve the battery why software isn't pushing the boundaries much.

At the end of the day when high end mobile cameras are competing with decent dedicated cameras then there is only so much they can improve them that will be more noticeable by us so in that case they should keep improving that but put more effort in other areas they can improve and there are lots of things that could be better, battery being one of them.

Semianonymous

I still have my Nexus One! I wanted to repurpose it as a media player but the charging port appears to be dead. Oh well. Still feels nice in the hand.

Patruns

My wife and I both had the Galaxy Nexus (which are still used happily by my sister-in-law and her husband) and currently have the Nexus 5. In my opinion, Google peaked with the Nexus 5. I have not found a pure Android phone worthy of replacing our current phones. No QI charging? No sale. Larger screen? No sale. Nano SIM? No sale. What I want is a new and improved Nexus 5. Faster processor, more RAM, better camera and better battery life. Give me that and I will happily be replacing these phones.

Defenestratus

Congrats, I've never actually found someone who has complained about the SIM card format before in a phone.

You sir have blazed new trails in consumer frivolity.

Patruns

Only because I use a SIM here and another in Europe and changing both is a PITA.......

Sir_Brizz

The Nexus 5 is still my favorite device ever even though I made several concessions in order to use it. I still love my 6 and 6P, though. It would be hard for me to go back to a smaller screen size. I wish they could make a device the size of the Nexus 5 with bezel-less screen. I'm sure you could get what like a 5.4 inch screen in there.

On a side note, you aren't going to get them to abandon nano sim. That's a new industry standard.

(And I thought I would miss Qi charging but I don't... the charger goes so fast that I don't have to leave it plugged in if I don't want to, plus Doze at night works really well for me. I can plug in in the morning and charge while I get ready for work and be good until the next morning.)

WesleyV

I have been using Google phones since the beginning. I am now using the Nexus 6P. So far so good.

sebastianer

I hope google release a compact Nexus variant with HD display this year. Borth 5X and 6P are big for me. For the time being i'm using a Z5 Compact,, it goes...

MotioN

I miss the back cover of the N4, it was just damn gorgeous !

Sir_Brizz

IMO the main thing is that the cost of "good enough" components is going down faster than the innovation in the best components is going up, which is making it a lot easier for inexpensive devices to compete. 5 years ago there couldn't have been a OnePlus 1 that was even competitive. It would have been a junk phone.

AsterMK

Yeah there was. The Mi Phone as it was known in 2011, was about $300-ish and was a flagship. Nothing really new. It mostly depends on how much you spend on marketing and R&D as that's where a lot of the cost goes on flagship devices.

If so, that came out in Aug 2012, just a few months after the Galaxy S3, and it was basically a junk phone.

AsterMK

That's the Mi 1S, which was the same thing but a year later. The Mi Phone (now known as Mi 1) came out August 2011 and had comparable specs to flagships of that time. But GSMArena doesn't have a page for it. And it was pretty much a flagship all around, with a dual core CPU, 8MP/2MP cameras, 800x480 screen etc. Only thing that falls short was 4GB storage which still beat the HTC Incredible (or whatever it was called) which had 1.1GB. As I said, pretty much a flagship back then, at half price.

Sir_Brizz

Interesting, I couldn't find it on gsmarena or on Google so I couldn't really compare. The 1S though was totally a junk phone compared to flagships of the time. Maybe the S meant Stupid.

There's the AP article. The 1S was released as a cheaper alternative to the Mi 2 I guess.

Sir_Brizz

I'll concede that it is maybe true, it uses the same CPU roughly as the GS2. But it is the exception and not the rule for that time period (the Galaxy Nexus came out just a few months later).

AsterMK

Yes, and it's still the exception. Only Xiaomi and OnePlus make $300 flagships nowadays, every other OEM tries to push for a premium price and ultimately fails to challenge Samsung or Apple in terms of profits/sales. "Flagship killers" have always been around, albeit hampered by a lack of advertising, or limited availability. All other Chinese brands are either trying for premium prices (Huawei), make low end devices or hover around the $500 mark for their flagships (Meizu).

Sir_Brizz

Is OnePlus Chinese? Chinese phones being competitive and cheap makes sense because China is where all phone parts are made :p

AsterMK

Yep.

Orion

Lol so much hate on the Nexus 6. I don't care what you or anyone else say, it's an awesome device. I actually love the size and it's been my favorite phone to date. Other than the hating, very good article.

I still have my Nexus 4. I used it for almost 3 years and there's almost no scratch on it. I stayed with it until recently when I decided to get a 6P. My old good N4 is now a backup phone but I'm probably gonna keep it forever as it was the best phone I could've ever bought. Unfortunately it was time to move on.
PS: The design of the glass on the back is still prettier than the one on the most recent devices, IMO.

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

"competitors are having a harder time differentiating (see: G5), and many will likely start to resort to gimmicks and general strangeness in an attempt to stand out from the crowd. None of them, though, can truly afford to let go of Google's services at this point - meaning none of them can get into the guts of Android in quite the way Google can"

@rdr0b11:disqus David, do you think this is the ultimate bane of all modern Smartphone OEMs? They could be bringing innovations to the market at least from software sie, but because they'd be gimped without Google Apps and the library Android currently has - they don't even attempt creating something of their own (save for Samsung's Tizen)

abazigal

I think the bigger problem is that it's simply not feasible for each and every OEM to create their own unique OS and ecosystem. Just look at the massive resources involved in creating your own Mapping service. Apple has billions at their disposal and still can't get it right.

They also lack the brand power of Apple, and I doubt these OEMs would be able to turn this differentiation into something that consumers are willing to pay a premium for. Because chances are, whatever homegrown solution they do come up with will likely be inferior to Google's own offerings in the very least.

So yes, I would agree that Android is the problem here (at least from the OEM's perspective and their inability to profit meaningfully from it).

neal

Pushing the boundaries for future Android phones is great. Still have not had a nexus - maybe if they accept a memory card that will change.

abazigal

So the solution here is for Google to be more like Apple, by wresting control of both the hardware and the software?

disqus_SSI0BGbmdh

Hardly. Rather it's to add to the market and pull OEMs along instead of leaving them to produce increasingly messed up phones. The argument in the article is clear, ads are Google's main business and this other stuff is complementary. Apple are, as they claim, hardware makers.

Matthew McKellar

You know how to differentiate? Make a phone like the Razer Maxx HD again! All I want is a phone I can use without worrying about or being bothered by! The Maxx had literal days of battery life, was waterproof, and could be used to drive in nails if you forgot your hammer. But it also had a mostly stock launcher and fit perfectly in hand so I didn't have to use a second hand to reach across the screen! It was perfect as any phone I have ever touched! I only wish it had a better camera and was Re released with a new but primarily power efficient processor!

disqus_SSI0BGbmdh

Good article. As for abroad, in the UK there's much less incentive to buy a Nexus phone, although the N5 did well given its price, specs and availability in retailers. When I say well, this is of course comparative to other Nexus devices! As there's no Project Fi, or even an equivalent to the $50 phone credit that came with the 6P in the States, the 6P is a £450 phone for the 32gb model ($635). It doesn't help that El Goog have been caught up in a long lasting and somewhat confused argument on tax over here, but, and as I agree with your conclusion, if they get a little more serious about the Nexus line and introduce some of their ancillary products/innovations (especially Project Fi) they could really change what is a pretty stagnant market and situation here in the UK. It's about whether they have the will to expand the other areas that complement their core business (ads) further afield. I'm guessing that Alphabet is the first step in having a multi-arm Google outside the US

J_Pod

Well, just like Microsoft did with the Surface line for tablets (made detachables more appealing to people and got Apple and Google to respond), they being the underdog of the three will probably come out with a Surface phone that may shake things up with the phone side of things. Most likely still a candy bar type device, they already introduced continuum before, but who knows what they could come up with next. Or not. Just saying that my eyes are on Microsoft to change things up because they are the most desperate of the three.

Kenny

My brother is using my Nexus 4. Still going strong. Mostly.

Portzblitz

Good piece, David. Cheers.

fn noobee

I loved my Nexus 4. It did everything I wanted it to and was fast and snappy and looked sexy doing it. Only reason I sold it was it didn't support LTE where I was at. I miss it...

Serge Cebrian

they need to get us a refresh of the nexus 7 2013 my nexus 2012 is unusable (thanks to lollipop) and my nexus 7 2013 lte still runs perfectly

does any one have a custom ROM recomentation to resurrect the n7-2012? (i dont want to try kitkat again)

Sruly J

What about CM 12.1 ?

JG

There is one feature that separates the 6P from the S7 (as well as the G5, Moto X etc)... Google needs to bring back microSD support. They could use the same dual SIM/microSD stock everyone else is using this year, it shouldn't add any horrid Zs to the phone.

Google added a lot of new removable storage support into M, it sucks that they opted to not show it off with their own devices. Especially since it now seems to be a standard feature for every other OEM (even Samsung & Moto who had previously removed the SD from their flagships have brought it back).

Not only would the additional storage be nice, but I'm hoping that since last year's i/o conference, Project Vault has gotten a lot of work done and is nearing release. It would be amazing if Google had them ready to release along side the new Nexus phone(s). I'd be more than willing to drop an extra $50 or 60 in order to get a Vault enabled 128GB microSD along with my Nexus 6P (2016). (for a slightly more recent Vault article see: https://www.bizety.com/2016/03/30/googles-project-vault-future-mobile-security/ )

Since 90s I've had 20+ phones. And only two times I was completely happy with them. Both were Nexus phones. Well, I just bought the second Nexus and it is amazing. Nexus 6p. Looove it. Although I'd prefer it to be 5,2 inches at max.

Jumeck Rafeal

I loved my Nexus 6, even more so now that I have the Google Pixel C running Android N beta. The Pixel delivers the best android experience on a tablet, and Android N's beta features point to a much bigger future for the usage of the Pixel as an effecient productivity machine. With all of my gadgets the ability to get work plays a huge factor in whether I stick with the device or go elsewhere. Unfortunately I had to ditch my Nexus 6p for a return to the Note 5, overhauled by Nova Launcher to get rid of the nasty Touch Wiz interface. I've also started using the BlackBerry Priv and have grown to be happy with the slide away keyboard. BlackBerry has done a n awesome job of sticking to stock Androd, while integrating their security features, and amazing Hub for processing texts, emails, and other messages from your social media accounts. I would be a dream to see Google partner wth Blackberry for a Nexus Pro, that's if the rumors of a Google Pixel phone never materialize. Still when reminiscing over the weeks I spent with the Nexus 6p, there were no lags, and watching video on the gorgeous screen was a pure delight.